QUÉBEC, Feb. 25, 2026 /CNW/ - From February 26 to October 12, 2026, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ) is hosting the Canadian premiere of Hyperrealism: This Is Not a Body, as part of an international tour that has taken it to 17 cities from Bilbao to Québec City. This major exhibition showcases a selection of works exemplifying hyperrealist sculpture on a national and global scale. Featuring some forty breathtakingly realistic pieces by 35 artists from Québec, Canada and abroad, it explores how the human figure has been depicted in sculpture from the 1970s to the present day.
Hyperrealism is an artistic trend that emerged in the 1960s in the United States as painters and sculptors broke with abstraction to cultivate this new form of realism inspired by contemporary society. Drawing inspiration from the special effects used in cinema, these artists use innovative materials such as silicone, fibreglass, and resin to recreate the appearance and textures of the human body in great detail. The technical precision with which bodily details of these pioneers and subsequent generations of artists is such that their works seem to confront us with real-life replicas.
This uniquely designed exhibition brings together sculptures by pioneers of the genre and renowned artists such as Berlinde de Bruyckere, Maurizio Cattelan, Carole A. Feuerman, Duane Hanson, Sam Jinks, Tony Matelli, Ron Mueck, Evan Penny, Patricia Piccinini, Lili Reynaud-Dewar, and George Segal. The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec presentation is also enriched by creations by Québec and Canadian artists who are part of this artistic movement that straddles the edge of reality: Alain Benoit, Stanley Février, Louis Fortier, Milutin Gubash, Karine Payette, and Mark Prent.
Acting as mirrors of the human condition, these pieces reveal the transformations in society and our relationship with the body over the last fifty years. These artists' illusionist approach gives substance to reflections on the human experience. Their works address universal themes such as childhood, old age, loneliness, self-perception, the passage of time, and death, while offering critical perspectives on contemporary society that go far beyond the challenge of mere verisimilitude.
Is it a real character? Is it a sculpture? Their thee-dimensional pieces blur the boundaries between art and science, exploring themes such as simulacra, genetic manipulation, and self-awareness. The exhibition's title echoes René Magritte's famous painting "Ceci n'est pas une pipe," [This is not a Pipe] which questions the relationship between art and reality.
"A gallery of larger-than-life characters awaits you at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. These pieces by prominent hyperrealists from here and abroad raise fundamental questions about our relationship with the body in both our personal lives and society as a whole. It's a deeply moving exhibition and a human-scale experience that leaves no one indifferent," says Jean-Luc Murray, Director General of Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec.
"Presenting Hyperrealism: This Is Not a Body in Canada for the first time is a great honour, especially at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. It is an incredible privilege to host this exhibition in a city renowned for its exceptional cultural heritage and in one of the country's most esteemed museums. I would like to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of the Musée's team, who have made it possible to enrich the exhibition with a selection of exceptional additional works from Québec and Canada," explains Maximilian Letze, Managing Director of the Institut für Kulturaustausch and curator of the exhibition.
"The exhibition provides a fascinating insight into the vibrancy and contemporary relevance of hyperrealism. As our ability to distinguish truth from falsehood is undermined by artificial intelligence, the boundaries between the real and the virtual are becoming increasingly blurred. The meaning of our existence and our humanity must now be seen from new perspectives. Hyperrealists accompany us on this great adventure, showing us less-travelled paths," says Caroline Lantagne, the MNBAQ's exhibitions curator and curator of the Québec presentation.
AN INTERNATIONAL TOUR: FROM BILBAO TO QUÉBEC CITY
This touring exhibition, which began in 2016 at the Museo de Bellas Artes in Bilbao, Spain, and has been acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, has also been shown in Monterrey, Taipei, Brussels, Paris, Rome, and Osaka, among others. Organized and toured by the Institut für Kulturaustausch in Tübingen, Germany, it is now stopping in Québec City for the first time on Canadian soil.
The Québec presentation features works by Québec and Canadian artists and gives pride of place to several pieces from the MNBAQ collection. It also includes loans from the National Gallery of Canada, the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Giverny Capital Collection, and the Art Mûr gallery, which represents artist Karine Payette.
ARTISTS WORKING AT THE FRONTIER OF REALITY
This exhibition showcases the pioneering hyperrealists whose work has had a significant impact on the evolution of sculpture in the last fifty years. At a time when the art scene in the United States was dominated by abstraction, American artist Duane Hanson was one of the first to create sculptures that imitated the real presence of "ordinary people" with uncanny verisimilitude. The exhibition includes Two Workers (1993) and Bodybuilder (1985–1990), sculptures based on live models and complete with clothing and accessories.
John DeAndrea, his counterpart, relies on complex moulding techniques in search of perfect realism and is inspired by the codes of classical statuary. New Yorker George Segal, active in the 1960s, made a name for himself worldwide with his monochrome sculptures featuring figures moulded from life and engaged in familiar activities against a backdrop of real objects.
The exhibition also explores the evolution of hyperrealist sculpture and brings together other major artists who continue this quest for realism, including Sam Jinks, Ron Mueck, and Marc Sijan. Their emotionally powerful works capture intimate moments of human experience, such as the birth of a child or old age. While some of their works are on a human scale, others challenge our perception of reality by playing with scale and size in uncanny ways.
Australian artist Patricia Piccinini transforms human figures into strange creatures and creates improbable hybrids, as seen in The Comforter (2010). Together with Evan Penny, who uses digitally manipulated images, she makes us consider the impact of biotechnology and genetic modification.
Some pieces also serve as a starting point for exploring social and political issues. One example is Ave Maria (2007) by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, who is renowned for his satirical and irreverent creations that poke fun at art and institutions. Several Québec artists also offer reflections on social issues. Cast from the kneeling body of Haitian-born artist Stanley Février, this flesh (2017–2019), highlights the violence experienced by people of African descent. Forged from a larger-bodied model, Alain Benoit's Stud/Template (2003) questions social and aesthetic norms dating back to antiquity. In On Either Side (2016), Montrealer Karine Payette examines the utilitarian relationship between humans and other animal species.
STAGING THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE
The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec exhibition features an original, luminous design that places visitors in direct contact with the artworks. The vast, uncluttered spaces allow you to observe these creations in fine detail and appreciate the various techniques employed by the hyperrealists. Light, treated as matter, plays an essential role. As visitors wander from one room to the next, they pass through scenes of everyday life and more intimate, hushed spaces before being immersed into a futuristic atmosphere. Each setting offers a fresh way to experience these disturbingly realistic works.
AROUND THE EXHIBITION
Discover the activities in connection with the exhibition, including guided tours, lecture, film and creative workshops: https://www.mnbaq.org/en/programming/exhibitions/hyperrealism-this-is-not-a-body
EXHIBITION CREDITS
An exhibition conceived and toured by the Institut für Kulturaustausch, and adapted by the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Our sincere thanks also go to Tempora, creator of the timeline content. The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec is a government corporation funded by the Government of Québec.
INFORMATION
SOURCE Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
MEDIA RELATIONS: Patricia Lachance | Communications and Media Relations Advisor, MNBAQ | 514-235-2044 | [email protected]; For Montréal: Rosemonde Gingras | Rosemonde Communications | 514-458-8355 | [email protected]
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